There’s nothing more comforting than spreading a thick layer of sweet fruity jam on buttery toast, especially when it’s homemade. We’ve put together our favourite preserves recipes to make for your family and friends. There are all the classics like strawberry, apricot, cherry and fig jam, plus a few inventive flavours like our orange, coriander and ginger marmalade.
We’ve also included our favourite savoury chutneys, pickles and jams, which pair beautifully with roast meat, vegetables and curries.
Sterilising jars for preserves
It is important to use properly sterilised jars for your preserves. Not only does proper sterilisation prolong the life of your homemade jams and preserves, it is also extremely important in preventing food-borne bacteria from causing severe illness. Add your homemade jams, marmalades and preserves to sterilised jars and seal while still hot. Fill the hot dry jars right to the top. Preserves shrink slightly on cooling and a full jar means less trapped condensation.
There are three main methods for jar sterilisation: oven, stovetop and dishwasher. For all three methods, you will need to start with cleaned washed jars and lids.
In the dishwasher
Place glass jars in the dishwasher, on the rinse cycle, without detergent, at the hottest temperature.
In the oven
Stand the jars right-way up, not touching each other, on an oven tray in a cold oven. Heat the oven to very slow (120°C) and leave for 30 minutes.
On the stove
Cover jars with cold water in a large saucepan, put the lid on the saucepan, bring to the boil and boil for 20 minutes. Remove the jars, drain well and stand right-way up on a board (they’ll dry by evaporation).
For more detailed information, see our guide to sterilising jars.
How to store jam
Store jams and preserves in a cool dark place. The area you choose needs to have a constant air flow and be dry, cool and dark. Once a jar of any preserve is opened, store it in the fridge.
Looking for more pickle recipes?
Mixed berry jam
Julie Goodwin’s strawberry jam
Tomato & chilli jam
Watermelon and rosewater conserve
Bitter blood orange and campari marmalade
Real cherry jam
Chunky fig & vanilla jam
Pickled onions
Dried fruit chutney
Branston-style pickle
Kiwi fruit and apple jam
Spiced plum and port jam
Lemon and lime marmalade
Rhubarb and raspberry jam
Orange, coriander and ginger marmalade
Spiced fig and apple jam
Tomato & sweet chilli relish
Quince jelly
Tomato chutney
Rhubarb and strawberry jam
Mandarin marmalade
Sun-dried tomato relish
Mango and strawberry jam
Slow cooker orange marmalade
Orange marmalade
Beetroot chutney
Breakfast marmalade
Pink grapefruit marmalade
Bread and butter pickles
Caramelised onion and beetroot relish
Cumquat ginger marmalade
Slow cooker pickled baby beetroot
Cheat’s bread and butter pickles
Sweet mustard pickles
How to make preserved lemons
Spicy green tomato relish
Caramelised onion and balsamic relish
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